Research

This study analyzed trends in vision screening for young children in the United States from 2010 to 2019 using insurance claims data. It included children aged 1 to under 5 years at the beginning of each year. The findings showed a significant increase in vision screening claims among young children over the decade, nearly tripling from 16.7% in 2010 to 44.3% in 2019. This increase was primarily driven by the rising use of instrument-based screening for children under 3 years old, with 23.4% of this age group undergoing such screening by 2019. However, there was a concerning trend of decreasing practitioner payment for instrument-based screening devices from 2013 to 2018, with a decrease of $2.10 per year during that period. The study suggests that further investigation is necessary to assess whether these decreasing payments might impact the adoption of vision screening technology in clinical practice. Overall, the findings highlight the increasing importance of early vision screening for young children and the need to monitor and support the utilization of advanced screening methods in healthcare.